Beauty & The Beasts
by Coutelier
Summary: While taking a holiday, Imoen and her friend(s) are forced to land on a rarely visited island. She's not surprised at all to find that tragedy has befallen the community... but then, things become a lot more complicated than she imagined.
1. Chapter 1

**Beauty & The Beasts**

**Part One**

The sea, so calm and still, like a vast glittering mirror to the blue sky above. But, what lay beneath…

A young priestess stood on the prow of the ship, eyes closed and her nose slightly raised, breathing in the salty air as her dark hair fluttered in the cooling breeze. She felt the ebb and flow of the currents below as if it were the blood in her own veins, its creatures like the corpuscles and, thankfully before the analogy could be stretched too far, there was a sudden shift, a change in direction… the girl's dark eyes flashed as her head tilted toward the waters. Shoals of fish passing by, and a bright colourful squid near the surface, its huge black pupil staring up into hers… and then it was caught.

"Now, where are you all going in such a hurry, hmmm?" Tenya asked it. Behind her, on the deck, Imoen and Aerie discussed all the issues of the day.

"Vampire, or werewolf?" The redhead asked, dipping her sponge into a bucket.

The blonde elf looked up, squinting, even as she continued to scrub. "E-excuse me?"

"I mean, if you had to be one, which?"

"Er, w-well…" Aerie mulled it over for a second, "werewolf, I suppose…"

"Really? I mean, they're kinda smelly…"

"You know what vampires smell like," the elf shrugged, "l-like they're dead, because, well, they are dead. Besides, I-I think as a werewolf, you would have to kill every full moon, but otherwise you can still go out in the day and lead a quite normal life."

"Y'make a good case," Imoen conceded. She gazed across the deck, and sighed; she hadn't realised just how much of it there was before. But there was always hope… heavy spangled boots with huge flaps started shaking the planks. "Psst," the redhead whispered, "the captain's coming… just let me do the talking, okay…"

"Imoen," Aerie looked like she was going to be sick, "t-the last time you talked to him he almost made us walk the plank…"

"Don't worry; I'm gonna get us out of this," the redhead assured her friend, who snapped on a glare and started to speak in a hiss.

"Just apologise to him… t-that's how you'll get us out of this."

Imoen shook her head, "can't do that, Aerrers."

"Why not?"

"Because," the redhead explained, putting a hand on her heart and puffing out her chest, "I am a woman of principle."

Now Aerie shook her head, "no you're not; you stole his medallion."

"Fair and square!" Imoen insisted. "Anyway… it was his fault for flaunting it out in the open like that. Just, wearing it there on his chest, all big and round, and shiny like that… he was just inviting someone to pick the lock to his cabin, dispel all the magical protections around the case and take it off him while he slept..."

"Please just say you're sorry," Aerie seemed ready to cry.

"No, look, told'ya, don't worry," the redhead, chest still puffed, started to loosen some of the strings on her shirt, "I'll use my feminine wiles on him…"

"I… I-I really don't think that's wise…"

"Shhh! Down, girl… here he comes…"

"Baervar, help us… please…"

If Baervar did answer, then it was far too late. Imoen was up on her knees, chin raised, eyelashes fluttering as she fanned herself. A shadow fell over her and she looked up, her grey eyes wide and her lips pouty and pursed. "Why, hello there, captain," she suddenly had a different accent; less cocky and more coquette, rather reminiscent of another redhead whom Aerie had met only briefly.

Captain Hawk (he called himself that), was a tall, bald man with dark skin, a goatee, and a wide grin that showed off a fine display of pristine dentistry; not the norm at all for sailors.

"Y'know girls," he boomed, "you might finish faster, with less chatter."

Imoen giggled as she leapt up, catching and hanging on his arm, "Listen, my dear captain… I think there's been a terrible misunderstanding here."

"There has?" He grinned.

"See," she pursed her lips even more, making her mouth perfectly round as she spoke, "the real reason I was in your cabin was that… I wanted to get closer to you. And with you being such a busy, busy, man…"

"Ahh," the captain nodded, "that makes sense."

"It's just," her fingers started crawling down his chest, "you're so irresistible… so strong, and big… I just had to be near you."

"You're right," he laughed, "this is all my fault. I'm just too damn irresistible."

"So how about it, captain? Think you could let a couple of poor, lovesick kids off the hook?"

"Hm," his face contorted in contemplation, then shook. "No. And what's more," Imoen suddenly switched impressions to a very good one of a chimpanzee as the captain took her hand in his. "If you want to keep these fingers, then from now on, you'll keep them to yourself."

"B-but… but," the redhead wailed, "I was being all smouldering and sultry and stuff!"

"You need a lot more practice," he informed her, before dropping her back next to the bucket.

The redhead scrambled quickly to her knees, meeting Aerie's icy cold stare. "Well," Immy gasped, trying to shake the pins and needles from her hand, "the captain's clearly a man of impeccable moral character."

The elf blinked. Once, twice, three times… she said nothing, but by the fourth blink another voice gave rise to her thoughts.

"Well," Tenya crowed, "that was shameful and pathetic, even for you."

"Aww, shut your bally brain-box, ya biter," Imoen snapped back at her.

"Enough," Hawk barked, then knelt low, "you got a lot of deck left to scrub."

"Yeah," Imoen glared as she roughly pulled out the sponge and let it splash down in front of her. "You… you like that, dontcha? Having us women scrub your floors for ya?" Clearly, she had decided to change tack. Clearly not wisely. "Not surprised; sexisms a long standing maritime tradition, right? I mean, why is a ship always a 'she', anyway?"

"B-because… she carries you inside her?" Aerie offered.

"Aye," the captain held his palms up, "she gets it."

"I… suppose that is pretty obvious when you think about it…" the redhead conceded.

"See… t-that's the problem," the elf continued, "Imoen often speaks b-before she thinks."

"I figured," the captain nodded along understandingly.

"She's not really an imbecile."

"Hey!" The redhead glared at her friend. "That's it; I want you to stop standing up for me right now!"

Hawk looked at them both, utterly bemused. "Why are you two friends? You're both so… different," of course, he realised he may have answered his own question.

"Well, I guess we both have traits the other one lacks," Imoen explained, "like, maybe, sometimes… very rarely… I really don't do enough thinking. But Aerie; she thinks about things way too much."

"W-we complement each other," the fair haired elf nodded.

"Exactly. Hey Aerrers; your skin looks really nice today."

"Thank you. I-I like your haircut."

"Thank you!" Beaming, Imoen raised her arm, slapping Aerie's palm as the elf mirrored the gesture exactly. "Now, _that's_ teamwork."

"They're both imbeciles," Tenya rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. "Imoen, just because she is, and Aerie for always following her around and believing that she isn't."

"Oh?" Imoen arched an eyebrow toward the teenage priestess, "and what does make you, Ten? You followed me, all the way from Baldur's Gate."

"Misguided."

The redhead snorted. "Shouldn't you be up front, watching the waves, or something?"

"Well," the priestess yawned, "I thought you might be interested in knowing that there's a big storm heading this way. Really big. Real nasty, too; tear this rackety old boat up like it were matchsticks if we got caught up in it."

"Can't you do something about it?" Aerie asked.

"I just did," the Umberlant shrugged. "Now," she said with a theatrical humongous yawn and stretch, "I'm going to take a nap. All this hard work has worn me out," her eyes suddenly clamped onto a young sailor trying to sneak around her. "You! Boy!" Tenya growled, thrusting her ceremonial staff into his hands. "Carry this for me."

"Yes, um… holy one," he said, bowing with fear and reverence to the representative of the Queen of the seas.

"And then, I shall bless you, by allowing you to rub my feet."

"Er… t-thank you, holy one…"

"I know, I know," Tenya's nose wrinkled, as she made some grandiose royal gestures with her hands, "I am far too nice, really. I've got to be careful not to let people just walk all over me…" Imoen yelped suddenly, as the priestess put all her weight down on the thief's calf. "Now, come along…"

"At least someone's enjoying their holiday," Aerie sighed.

"One of these days," Immy hissed, "I'm gonna slap her so hard…"

"Today is not the day," the elf leapt up, trying to restrain her friend, "c-considering where we are…"

"Right," the redhead settled, "soon as we're back on land though, she's in for it. I mean it this time; we have got to discipline that girl, even if it kills her."

"O-or us?"

"More likely, yeah" Imoen sighed, "gotta try though, for all our goods."

"Heh… she's a charming girl," the captain said, still grinning; he didn't seem to have any other facial expression. "Must have learnt her manners in a school of piranha."

"Well… you're not far wrong," Imoen nodded, "unfortunately, she's not a liar; if she says there'll be a storm, there will be."

The captain took a long deep breath, and an equally long exhale… that seemed all the time needed to formulate a plan. "Not to worry; I know an island nearby. We can anchor in the harbour there and wait for this storm to pass. We can also take on some fresh supplies from the town. And, speaking of discipline… make sure you don't miss any spots."

* * *

Tenya wasn't lying; the storm hit with all the ferocity of a herd of very ferocious wild buffalo. Or squirrels; they could be ferocious too. The key point is that it was fierce. Maybe there had been fiercer storms, but to the couple of land lubbing passengers on board, the crashing and smashing of waves twice as tall as the tallest they knew against the rocks was more than a little unsettling. They and the crew made it to shore just in time.

The town the captain had mentioned was almost invisible; it wasn't they arrived on the pier that Imoen noticed all the buildings dotted up the steep incline amongst a dense canopy of vegetation.

"Where is everyone?" Imoen tried to make herself heard over the whipping wind, as the captain tried to securely tie all the boats. No one from the town had come out to help.

"Inside?" Hawk offered. "Who in their right mind would come out in this?"

"Seems like the usual greeting I get," the redhead muttered, "what do you think, Aerie?"

As an avariel, Aerie's eyes were incredibly sharp, even compared to other elves. She peered from one end of the isle to the other. "N-no lights, no fires burning… s-something's definitely wrong here."

"What I thought; the usual," the two nodded and sighed resignedly.

"That's the jail," Hawk pointed to a building on the corner of a street and the beach front. "Maybe we'll find the sheriff inside…"

It was a pleasant relief to get out of the howling, biting wind… less pleasant to find the jail completely empty, although perhaps that depended on how you looked at it.

"When was the last time you were here?" Imoen asked, just making conversation as a spark on the end of her wand illuminated the room, a carousel of shadow surrounding them as she slowly turned.

"Years," the captain answered, "don't stop here often. No one does. Still, it was a lot more lively, last time I was here."

"You find something, Aerie?" Imoen asked. The elf was leaning over a logbook, lighting the pages with the end of her finger and shaking her head.

"I-it just stops, about a month ago…" Nature added some dramatic emphasis in the form of several flashes of lightning and the sky roaring.

"Ideas?" The captain asked.

"Maybe they had to evacuate," Imoen offered, "contaminated water, some kind of outbreak…"

"Nice thought," Hawk nodded throughtfully, "but, all the boats are still tied up out there, and, why wouldn't they have left a sign?"

"Well, then, something really bad might have happened…"

Creaking, squeaking, the whole building shook. The spirit of the wind passed them by, howling in anguish. A door slammed shut, another opened… the captain reached for his sword.

"Whoa!" Imoen stopped him at the hilt. "It's alright; it's one of us. Kinda…" sighing, she turned to face the opened portal. "Ten, what're you doing here?"

"Keeping an eye on you," the priestess shrugged.

"Well… nice you care, I suppose…"

"I mean," Tenya's dark eyes twinkled as she skipped across the room, "if some monster were to grab you, spill your guts and entrails out and leave you writhing in agony, begging and cursing til your last breath, then I want to see it."

She skipped past Aerie. Or rather, she skipped on Aerie, landing on her foot seemingly accidentally. The elf pursed her lips, sucking in breath until Tenya had moved on. The priestess spun around, catching the elf's weak little smile and tilting her own head curiously. "Nothing makes you mad, does it?"

Aerie didn't answer; just returned a bemused and worried look as she proceeded to place the logbook back where she'd found it.

"Really, Ten," Imoen sighed, "you'd be safer staying with the rest of the crew."

"Safer?" The priestess growled disdainfully. "You think I am some ordinary weak girl who can't take care of herself?"

"Y-you're not so special Tenya," Aerie said, "when… w-when I was younger, I didn't think anything could touch me, either."

"Oh?" The priestess fixed her with a stare and a small, wicked smile as she slowly stepped under the elf. "And then, let me guess… did something happen to bring the sweet, perfect little angel down to earth?" Tenya peered upwards, scrutinizing the elf carefully like she was looking for some sign of something. Aerie sighed, rolling her eyes and her head away; a mistake. Not meeting the child's eyes gave her the impression that she was winning. "You're not going to cry about it again, are you? Like you do to Imoen?"

"Imoen is my friend, a-and those are actually private conversations…"

"Well, maybe if the two of you learnt to keep the door closed… listening to you… its pathetic."

"So, I-I suppose you think I'd be better off like you?" This time, Aerie rectified the mistake; stopped shifting furtively and met Tenya's stare head on. "Pretending to everyone that pain doesn't hurt me, s-so that it festers and grows until it's consumed absolutely everything else inside?"

The teenage priestess backed up, a little. She steeled and composed herself. "Them is fighting words, missy," she growled.

"Tenya," Aerie laughed, a little nervously, "I… I-I am not going to fight you…"

"Wimp," the priestess spat, "you're afraid of me!"

"I… we, really don't have time for this…"

"She's right," Imoen took hold of Tenya's arm, shoving her into a chair near the door, "sit down and shut up."

The priestess, her jaw hanging open in disbelief as she gazed to the redhead. "Well," she eventually huffed, "of course, you'll take her side…"

"Uh-huh… it's called experience."

"Did it ever occur to you, rat face, that maybe your friend isn't really that good?"

"Tenya… no-one is that good. Keep winding her up; but don't expect me to care if you get you want and she turns you into a twig and snaps."

"stupidbloodyimbeciles," Tenya muttered, that and various other expletives. Imoen was never sure what the priestess wanted from her, but whenever she did something it seemed to work, temporarily at least.

"Hey," the red haired thief turned her attention to her friend, "don't let her get to you," she said, putting an arm across Aerie's shoulders. "It's just a really dumb game. She'll get bored, eventually…"

"I'm… I-I'm trying not to," the fair haired elf bowed her head, her shoulders heaving as she deeply sighed. "I-it's… its really not that easy… being perfect," they both smiled.

Captain Hawk was still watching and listening out for any sign of life in the town. He shushed them suddenly. "I hear something," he explained.

"Sure it's not just the wind?" Imoen asked.

"I'm sure."

"I-I hear it too," Aerie said, her pointed ears seeming to lengthen. "O-out back…"

The four of them (Imoen allowed Tenya out of her seat) hurried out into a yard. Lot of garbage and refuse, old furniture and other items that presumably had been confiscated by the sheriff and just left out here to rot. And a large snout rustling and shuffling and picking its way through it all.

"It's just a pig," Imoen sighed. A very large pig; as big as a man. But nevertheless, clearly it was a pig.

"Why's it wearing pants?" Tenya asked.

"Look, it's a small town… just… don't question it."

"W-what about the tattoo on its shoulder?" Aerie nodded her head.

"I've… seen it before," the captain peered, stepping slowly forward, "last time I was here. Its…"

The pig stood up, squealing loudly as it rushed at them. They jumped out the way, and it continued on through the back door and out the front, moving awkwardly, since running on two legs was clearly not the natural way for a pig, but with amazing and surprising speed. By the time the four had made it out after it, the man-pig had already disappeared into the trees and shrubs. Most of the rest of the crew who had landed ran up the pier to see what was going on.

"Oh-kay," Imoen panted and nodded her head slowly. "So… the Sheriff's a pig. Sure. Why should that surprise me?" It shouldn't have, but it did.

"That was Turnbull, the Sheriff's deputy," the captain said, staring in disgust and disbelief at the place where the pig had disappeared. "At least, he was last time I was here. He was a good… man…"

The howling wind couldn't quite muffle a scream; a woman's scream. There were only two women and one girl who had come by boat, and were all being quiet, for a change.

"This way!" The captain started to break into a run, signalling for his crew to follow him. The went round the back of the first row of buildings, into a wooded area. There was another young woman on the island; long ruffled auburn hair and a green dress, all slashed at and torn. A group of varying kinds of man beast surrounded her, acting like a pack of wild dogs; darting in, slashing, darting out, gradually wearing her down while she tried to hold them off with a stick, but it was only a matter of time.

The captain was the first to reach them, retaining enough composure not to reach for his sword, having seen what had happened to the deputy. He picked up a heavy branch and beat the townsfolk back with that, his well-disciplined men following his example. In the face of so many, the beasts retreated, scurrying and leaping into the trees.

"Are you okay?" Hawk panted, reaching out a hand to help the obviously beleaguered woman to her feet. She was very young; seventeen or eighteen, maybe. Very pretty, beneath all the grazes and dirt. She looked at them, seeming confused for a moment.

"Who… who are you?" She asked, her body still shaken.

"Hawk… Captain Hawk. What's happened here?"

"Y'know," Imoen interjected, "I really think we should get inside some place before starting with all the questions…"

"Yes," the woman nodded very affirmatively, "she's right…" she turned her head, her green eyes widening and shimmering with fear at all the howling and barking that surrounded them. "They're calling others…" she uttered breathlessly, "follow me… hurry!"

A much larger group of beast men fell and burst out of the vegetation, giving chase as the crew were led up a winding path. There was a terrified scream as one of the men were caught; it didn't last long. Another scream, and Aerie stopped suddenly, since that one wasn't a man or a beast. Looking back, she saw Tenya trying to stifle her own tears, and trying and failing to stand up on a twisted ankle. The beast men were only seconds away…

Aerie did think about things too much, forcing herself to worry about all manner of thing that was probably better off forgotten. But, sometimes, an instinct came over her so strong that she acted without thinking at all. It had brought her a lot of grief in the past, and there was no reason to think it wouldn't now. But she wasn't thinking. She ran and dived at the priestess, sending them both rolling into a ditch. When they settled, all the elf could do was hold the girl close and try to cover her from the claws of the beasts… after several seconds, she opened her eyes. Turning her head, looking back over her shoulder, she saw several beast men rushing by, one even leapt right over the ditch. But they weren't interested in the girl or the priestess; they seemed completely intent on going after the main group. Aerie would think about that later, but for now, she decided it would be wiser to try and find shelter deeper in the woods.

In all the confusion, Imoen didn't notice that her companions were missing until she reached the cottage. There were several posts set out in a wide circle around.

"Light the lamps! Quickly!" The auburn haired woman insisted. The crew had two remaining torches; the woman handed them others to be passed around.

The red haired thief kept turning round, blood racing, eyes starting to show panic. "Wh-where… where are Aerie and Tenya?" She gasped.

"Worry about yourself, first!" The captain growled, thrusting a torch into her hands.

She looked at it strangely for a moment, blinking several times… he… he was right, of course. There was no chance to find them if she died. She ran to the nearest unlit lamp post. It smelled like sulphur when she lit it, but its light was a pale, silvery blue, like the moon. Whatever was in it, the beasts didn't like it. As soon as it touched them they yelped and squealed and retreated. It wasn't long before all the lamps were lit and things started to settle. The crew all collapsed and bent over, catching their breaths, while most of the beast men fell back into the forest. Most of them.

One, a large wolf-man, kept pacing up and down just at the edge of the light a while longer. The captain held up a torch, noting the reflection on the creature's eyes as he stared into them.

"What happened to you?" Hawk asked. The creature stared at him, it's lips moving, bearing it's teeth, but then it spoke.

"H-hunger…" it said, its voice cracked and broken, the effort clearly great. "Crazy … hunger…"

"You want food?"

The creature screamed, slashing at the captain even though he was too far away. It raised a claw, "want… witch," it said, pointing at the green woman. "Give witch! Not kill! Morning… decide…" The beast-man's jaw snapped, before it turned and vanished into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Beauty & The Beasts**

**Part Two**

"doesnthurtdoesnthurtdoes… not… OWWL!" Tenya yowled as the boot was yanked from her foot. Gritting her teeth, the teenage priestess fixed her fierce gaze on the fair haired elven woman responsible. "I will choke you to death with your own ears!" She growled.

"Uh-huh," Aerie acknowledged while feeling around the wounded ankle. "Try to stop flinching," she'd found a stable to hide in, which they had to themselves. Either the horses had been let out, or… well… anyway, they seemed safe, for the time being.

"You had better know what you're doing, you dumb blonde harpy…"

The elf rolled her eyes. She knew she wasn't perfect; she failed often. But being nice definitely was very hard at times; she sometimes wished she could snap and fail and not have her own conscience whip her badly for it later… but then she wouldn't be herself anymore. And anyway, it wasn't really Tenya's fault she was how she was; the poor girl had lived alone with her cruel mother her whole life. Before Imoen, no one had ever been nice to her. There had never been a single person she could talk to, nor friend to play games and tricks with… maybe… maybe there was another way…

"Oh," Aerie uttered weakly, looking again at the swollen ankle. "Oh, my…"

"What?" Tenya demanded.

"It… i-it's nothing. Don't worry… e-everything will be fine. I promise."

The priestess narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "No… you're being all furtive and fidgety, which means there is something you are not telling. Out with it. Now. Before I club you on the head with your own thigh bone."

"No, really… i-it will be fine…"

"When then, hurry up and do the healing thing!"

"I mean… y-you never really liked morris dancing anyway, right?"

"Stupid bells and handkerchiefs," the girl hissed, "I won't rest until every one of them is drowned!"

"That's good," Aerie patted her on the shoulder, "b-because, you don't need it. Just like, y-you don't need both your legs to live a full and healthy life…"

"Wha… what?!" The teenage priestess blinked, her aggressive demeanour being replaced by fear as she slowly caught on.

"I'm sorry, Tenya," the elf said, hiding her face. "The… t-the leg's infected. The only way to save you, is to cut it off."

"You can't cut off my leg! I need my leg!"

"It's the only way. Now, y-you stay still… I need to find a saw and start heating a poker. You'll probably also want something to bite down on, like a stick or piece of wood…"

"You stay away from me!" The girl cried. A straw cloud shot up around her as she shot backwards across the floor of the stable.

"Trust me; i-it really doesn't hurt that much. M-most of the excruciating agony you'll be in will come from the shock…"

"Back! Get back!" Tenya growled, throwing bits of mud at the elf. At least, hopefully it was mud… in any case, Aerie avoided it quite easily. "Moron! Imbecile! Harpy! This…" the priestess suddenly stopped her mudslinging, looking down at her ankle and slowly moving her leg. "This is fine," she felt. She looked back up at the elf, her eyes wide, like she was in shock. "You… you actually lied to me…"

Everything you did had consequences. Tenya seemed hurt, and Aerie actually felt a little guilty. "I'm sorry," the elf sighed, "I already said a prayer. Your ankle will be as good as new in just a minute."

"You lied," the girl repeated, still struggling with the concept. She slowly pulled her knees up to her chest, and turned away from the avariel.

"Are… a-are you okay?" Aerie asked, leaning forward, confused. Tenya was like that; always find some way to be frustrating. "D-don't tell me I actually hurt your feelings? I-I didn't think you would really fall for…"

"Shut up," the girl said, shrugging her off, "not talking to you…"

The avariel thought it over for all of two seconds before figuring it out. "You… you trusted me, didn't you?" Aerie asked. Tenya snorted, said nothing. "A-and then I tricked you. I'm sorry. Look," the elf knelt down, "I've felt the same way toward Imoen… l-lots of times. But, like her, I-I really wasn't trying to hurt you. It's just… y-you've got to learn to be less sensitive… i-it's just… part of life, I suppose... a-and really, would you have preferred if I wasn't lying?"

Still didn't speak. Aerie didn't know what else to say either. Outside, the storm was dying down a bit. That allowed her to hear more clearly the beasts, snorting, growling, prowling aloud… hadn't found them yet. Aerie doubted they were even looking, but it may only be a matter of time before one of them caught their scent.

"Ten," she said, "look… it may not be safe to stay here much longer, a-and I won't leave you alone. So, i-it would really be good for both of us if you could start trusting me again…"

Aerie blinked, and suddenly the girl was up on her knees, her nose right under hers, her dark eyes piercing deeply into the elf's blues. "You won't?" She asked. Aerie stared back, not blinking a second time.

"I won't," she affirmed.

Tenya tilted her head, eyes heading to the ground as her nose and brow wrinkled in confusion. "Very well," she said at last, slowly rising to her feet, "I shall accept your apology."

Aerie breathed, and started to rise as well… before Tenya grabbed her collar and pulled her back, the girl's eyes piercing much more fiercely. "This time…" she hissed.

* * *

Inside the cottage, Imoen was fretting, her cheeks flushed from worry and exhaustion as she refused to sit down. The green woman was curled up in a corner, staring blankly into a fire. Captain wouldn't let her leave; said it wouldn't do any good, and there were too many of his crew crowded in here for her to sneak out. Hawk was trying to get the woman to talk, but she wasn't responding. He hadn't even got her name.

"That's it!" Imoen had had enough of just standing around. She stepped up on a chair and leapt, crossing the room in the blink of an eye. Before anyone else could react, she had the green woman against a bookcase, her forearm pressing down across her throat. "You better start talking n'explaining right now, or so help me, then I won't let those animals kill 'ya… because I'll wanna make sure yer alive when I start to gut 'ya…."

"Y-you… y-y-you wouldn't…" the woman, almost frozen with fear, managed to whimper. Well, at least she'd said something.

"Honestly, I don't know," the thief admitted. "If anything happens to my friends out there, then I don't know what I'll do…" the blood… she didn't know if she could be strong enough to control it herself…

The green woman gasped for breath, as she was released. Imoen felt herself being picked up around the waist and carried back across the room, before been thrown against the opposite wall.

"This does not help!" Hawk spat. "Look," he said, controlling himself, "I know you're friend, Aerie, isn't dumb. She'll be holed up some place… and if not, then, she's dead, and there is nothing you can do about it.

"Then I'll go her," she said, slowly shaking her head, "I won't be able to stop it…"

"Think!" The captain slapped the wall very close to Imoen's head. "You are not an animal. It might be too late to help your friend, but you can help everyone else still alive on this island by helping me get to the bottom of this. And if your friend is alive, then that's the best way to help her as well."

A part of Imoen really wanted to just let go… and it wasn't just the part of her that was the god of murder. But… she realised, that would mean she had given up on Aerie, on everyone. She was a smart kid; Tenya too, sometimes. They'd be safe. "Alright," she sighed, "what do you want me to do?"

"Well," Hawk dragged a hand down his face, "I had thought that she'd be more likely to talk to you than me, because you're a… well…"

"Redhead?"

"Yeah. In any case, there doesn't seem to be much chance of that, now."

"Right," she had acted impulsively, again. Didn't think things through at all. What would Aerie say? Right… she pushed off and made her way slowly back across to the corner. "Look," she said to the green woman. "I'm… I'm sorry."

There was really no more corner left for the woman to shrink into. Didn't stop her trying. Imoen sat herself down just a couple of feet away. "I guess I didn't realise how really attached I've become… even Ten. She's a real brat, but… even though she forced herself on me… I guess I've come to think of her as my brat."

"A-a child?" The woman gasped. "You brought a child to this island?"

"She'll be grown up in just a few years… but right now, yeah. She's definitely still a kid."

"Fools," the woman shook her head, and buried it between her knees. "You're all fools…"

"Listen," Imoen leant over, "will they be alright out there?"

"Don't know. The beasts… the men… some are gone. Some hold on for longer. Some turn on themselves, on each other…" she kept muttering, becoming gradually less and less coherent.

The thief shifted her position again, facing the woman on her knees, gently getting her to lift her head. "What's your name?"

"L-lynda. Lynda with a Y."

"Lyn… the… the people, outside, they seem to think that you're responsible somehow…"

"I'm not a witch!" Lynda cried out. "I… my grandmother. She was a witch. They called her a wise woman. But not me… never wise. Mother, she was Amnian… she hated magic. Said it was evil… she hid all the books… I'm evil."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because," Lyn suddenly scurried forward, looking a surprised Imoen in the eye, "I did it. I turned them all into beasts."

* * *

"A-aren't you thirsty?" Aerie asked, sipping from the stream. Tenya shook her head.

"If we stay on this island," the priestess asked, leaning on a staff and looking up at the moon, "do you think we'll start to turn into animals as well?"

A moment of dizziness; Aerie must have been thirstier than she thought. Of course, she had thought about the question. "I don't know," she answered honestly. She just didn't have enough of the pieces; didn't really have any pieces right now.

"I suppose it might work out for you if we did; you might turn into an eagle."

"H-how… how would that work out for me?"

"You'd be able to fly, see your home again, and all that sort of thing you seem to care about."

Aerie shook her head. "I wouldn't just want to see it," she explained, "I-I would want to be there, with my family… and them to be with me. Like it was…"

"If you say so," Tenya shrugged, "can't say I understand it at all."

"No… I-I don't suppose you would," the elf sighed, "but, it doesn't matter; nothing can ever be like it was." She closed her eyes, and started to pray.

"You know something's in that tree, watching us?"

"Yes," Aerie's eyes opened as she spun around, electricity crackling and sparking and leaping from her fingertips, shattering the branches. A high pitched wail, almost like a baby's cry, as something man-sized thudded to the ground. Tenya raised her staff as it got up, and twitched it's whiskers.

"Wait!" It called, raising a paw to shield itself. "I mean you no harm!"

"Well, I mean you a lot of harm!" The priestess growled back. "I do not like being watched like that!" She was about to swing, but Aerie caught her.

"I'm sorry!" The creature cried. "It's just… there have not been any visitors, since this started…"

Tenya squinted, and noted the fur and the ears. "You're a… cat?"

"I… am the blacksmith. I mean," the felis sapiens lowered its arms, looking mournfully at his paws, "I was a blacksmith."

"What is your name, blacksmith?"

"It's… its Felix. But, i-it is just a coincidence; most of the transformations seem quite random… um, can I… can I speak to the grown up, please?"

"Who, her?" Tenya looked about in disgust, pointing her stick at Aerie. "Hmph… you can speak to her, but she's no grown up… sheplayschildishtricksonpeop le… besides, good luck trying to get anything out of her."

"Um," the fair haired elf coughed, "this is Tenya…"

"Tenya Thermidor," the priestess proudly said her full name, as if it should mean something to them all. It didn't.

"Right… a-and I'm Aerie. Just Aerie."

"I am pleased to make both of your acquaintance," Felix purred. "But, it is not safe for you out here… come; I will take you to see the sheriff," he said, hobbling and beckoning for them to follow.

Tenya whispered through the side of her mouth, "you don't seriously think we should?"

"I-I don't think we have a choice," Aerie answered, "besides," she shrugged, "h-he seems trustworthy to me." The elf smiled, and followed.

Tenya shook her head disdainfully, "You trust far too easily…"

"Forgive the stares," Felix gestured. Green eyes followed their every step from deep within the vegetation. "Like I said; we have not had any visitors. Plus, it's a small community. Even before all… this, the boys here weren't used to seeing someone, well," he turned and looked at Aerie, "someone so pretty."

The elf was taken back, a little. Still, enough people had told her she was pretty by now that she was starting to believe it herself. She still blushed. "Um… th-thank you…"

"Apart from Lynda. She was the… the woman, your group tried to save. We don't blame you. After all, you just got here; you couldn't have known what you were doing."

"What are you talking about?" Tenya asked.

"She did this to us," he hissed loudly, "using some kind of sorcery."

"Why?" The priestess asked, and Aerie nodded since it was a very good question.

"Spite… hatred," he shrugged, "she and her family have always been weird; always lived in that cottage away from the rest of the town. You," he looked back at the elf again, "you're a witch too. Is there any way you can use your power to… fix us?"

Aerie knew he hadn't really answered Tenya's question; she suspected because he really just didn't know. But she had no reason to suspect he was lying when he said he meant them no harm. "I… I would have to know how she did it, first," she said; it was the best she could do to assure him.

"I'm afraid I can't help," he turned away, sadly, "all I know is, one day I woke up, and people started to change. By the end of the day, the entire town was… well, what you see."

Felix moved on, with a very un-cat like lack of grace; he still hadn't gotten used to his changed body. Aerie followed, something not sitting right. It may have just been all the eyes still on her, but she tapped Tenya on the shoulder anyway.

"Um… c-can you ask how he knows it was Lynda?" The elf asked sheepishly.

"Why don't you ask him?" The priestess asked back.

"I'm… r-really not good in front of a crowd…"

Tenya rolled her eyes, sighing. "Wimp. Suppose I'll have to take care of everything… hey! Catman… how do you know this 'Lynda' person is responsible?"

"She's the only person who hasn't changed," Felix shrugged, "and, she confessed, before holing herself up in that cottage of hers."

Well, that didn't help. If anything, it just made things even more confusing. "Why would she turn the town into monsters, confess, then not even bother to try and hide?" Aerie whispered to herself.

"Yeah," Tenya nodded and said out loud, "why would she do all that and not hide herself?"

"I'll admit, her behaviour has been strange," Felix murmured, "maybe she just wants to relish all the suffering she's caused? Otis, the sheriff's son, might have understood her better; he and she were seeing a lot of each other before this happened… but, he's pretty far gone."

"Far gone?"

"With each passing day it becomes harder to remember what it was like to be human. Some have already lost the gift of speech and, I fear, soon will lose the power of thought and of reason, while others of us struggle to hold on to our humanity," he said, then remembered the elf. "Er… no offence."

"Oh… n-none taken," Aerie bowed her head slightly.

"For now, all still carry their respect for the sheriff and will do what he demands of them. As for the witch… she's made herself quite secure up there. That light she has burns like red hot iron when it touches us, but a lot of folk are losing patience. It's only a matter of time before they try to rush…" Felix went on explaining things, but Aerie drifted away. She squeezed her eyelids together; thought she saw the second sign. But she hadn't started talking to herself yet, had she?

"Ten… T-Tenya?" She whispered. "How do you feel?"

"Like I want to kill," the girl answered.

"So… n-normal, then?"

"Here we are," Felix said, leading them to the mouth of a cave. Although Aerie could see quite well in the dark, she knew that Tenya couldn't, so she gently took the girl's staff, placing a mage light at the end of it before looking to the cat, who nodded his acceptance and bid them to enter. The cave was large, with crates and barrels piled inside. But no people…

"Smugglers used to hide their wares here," a deep voice, much deeper than Felix, growled at them. It was coming from above, sticking to the stalactites. "I put a stop to that," he said, letting go and turning head over heels in the air, arms outstretched so that he glided down on the flaps of skin stretched between his wrists and his ankles. He landed in front of them, twitching his snout and grinning to reveal his sharp incisors.

"Batman," Tenya nodded. He wore a pouch and a shield on his belt, presumably to denote his status as the town sheriff.

"And here," he sucked, swinging his sharp nails around, "primitive men used to worship the beasts…" paintings. Crude, ancient paintings of fish, some antlered creatures, bear and wolf…

"I-I'm not sure they really worshipped them," Aerie observed, really quite enthralled; it wasn't often you stumbled across a link to such an ancient, primordial past. "They would have been very important, to sustain their lives… this was their world."

"It's rubbish," the teenage priestess scoffed at the wall, "I could draw better than that when I was five."

"But… I-Isn't it amazing to think you're standing in a place where they lived, l-looking at something your own ancestors might have created thousands of years ago?"

"Couldn't have been my ancestors; they had no talent."

"What this island needs," the bat-sheriff-thing hissed, "more witches…"

"They mean us no harm, Sherman," Felix insisted, rocking back and forth on his feet like some hunchback servant, "they could have killed me, but they didn't."

"Well, so long as it stays that way you are welcome to stay," the sheriff grinned hideously, "see the sights…"

A howl from the mouth of the cave; a huge wolf-man, hunched over like an old beggar. Sheriff Sherman spun around, arms stretched again… Aerie caught a whiff of something awful… her nose seemed even more sensitive than usual.

"Ah… Otis," the Sheriff hissed, lowering, "my son. No doubt you see the family resemblance, hmmm?" He said again, like these events did nothing more than amuse him.

Otis, the wolf, hopped into the cave, pausing and staring at the fair haired elf. Aerie tentatively moved back; it was a hungry, predatory gaze that sent a jolt to her heart.

"What is it, boy?" The sheriff drew the wolf's attention away.

"Men… from ship," Otis growled, "up there, with witch!"

"M-men?" Aerie hurriedly stepped forward. "I-isn't there another woman with them?"

Otis snarled, batting his huge forearm, forcing her back even though he didn't touch. "Yes," he growled. The elf's heart settled again, as she bowed her head and saw her hands… her nails were getting longer…

"Hawk," the sheriff croaked, "yes… I think I should pay a visit to my old friend. As for you two," he turned to the girl and woman, "as I said; so long as you mean us no harm, no harm will come to you," he paused, and slapped Otis on the snout. "Understood?" The wolf beared his teeth, but then lowered his head and nodded several times. "Good."

The sheriff stepped and glided away, leaving Aerie and Tenya alone with the wolf and cat, for a moment. Otis stared at the elf, just like he was doing before. Her nose wrinkled, her lips peeled back… she could feel his heart beat, could taste the blood in his veins, the ones in his neck, the thick fur couldn't hide them… she could almost hear the vertebrae snap already… Aerie gasped, fell to the floor, head spinning… had to hold on… she could fix this, but she had to hold on…

"Are you okay?" Tenya asked, peering down at the writhing elf. "Your eyes are weird," she said, her head tilting curiously, "like… the pupils have gotten longer," it took only seconds then to realise what was happening. "You're starting to change," the girl gasped.

"I-I'm sorry," Aerie said, leaning back, grimacing.

"Well, that's just not fair," the priestess sulked, "how come its happening to you, but not me? If anyone deserves to be a bloodthirsty killing monster, it's me."

"You've never… k-killed anyone," Aerie reminded her. "I have. I-it's exciting, when you fight… frightening and exciting. B-but… it hurts after. And it's wrong."

"To hurt… people?" Otis snarled. "Why fight? Beasts have… no remorse. Give in, to… instinct… no more pain."

"I am not an animal!" Aerie snapped, snarling. She swallowed, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if trying to hold her body together. "I… I don't belong in a cage," she whispered. She had to solve all this. Figure out why and how and why it happened… then she could fix it. Maybe. She remembered smelling something earlier… something awful. At least, it was to her. She looked up at Otis, focusing. "You and… Lynda. Y-you were lovers?"

"No. Not love," he sniffed. But what he was really feeling; it was very hard to read a wolf's expression. "Tried to tell… she… cried and ran."

"Where did she run?"

"Shed… behind… my house. Last saw. Went… drank… this."

"That… t-that's all?"

The cave roof suddenly trembled as Otis roared. "No more questions!" He snapped, then suddenly turned and ran out. After a moment blinking in surprise, Aerie stood up. The pain was fading; she was holding on, for now.

"Let's go," she said.

"Go? Go where?" Tenya asked.

"Oh… t-the sheriff's house. To solve this."

"Solve it? It's obvious even to me; the little witch couldn't take being rejected, so she decided to punish the whole town."

"I-I can understand her being upset… it's natural, if you've invested your emotions in something. I-if it were me, I'd have cried for a while, but then… t-things would go back to normal… more or less. This is… a little extreme, don't you think?"

"It is?" Tenya's face scrunched. "Well… if you say so."

"Hmmm… now, that I think about it," Felix purred as he continued to hobble around them, "your friend does have a point…"

"She does?" The priestess arched a brow.

"Lynda was a strange girl… emotional. But, no one ever thought she was deranged before. Certainly, not enough to do this. But, why do you think the answer would be at the sheriff's?"

Aerie shrugged. "Just… following my nose…"

* * *

"The girl is deranged," Hawk hissed, nursing his hand from where Lynda had scratched it when he tried to get close to her.

"Got that right," Imoen muttered. Lynda was on her feet, stalking from one end of the room to the other, her hair dishevelled and her eyes wild. "Okay, Lyn… so, why'd you do it?"

"Because… they are beasts," she explained, twirling a finger through her hair, "all of them. I just showed them what they really were inside."

"Well then, turn them back."

"What?"

"Simple enough; if you did it, then you can undo it. C'mon; even the gods ain't that stupid. They always leave a way to turn back anything they've done."

Lyn looked through her, head tilted, mouth open slightly as she thought. "Maybe you're right… yes… maybe you're right…" there were several howls outside.

One of the younger, more brash men in the crew stepped forward. "Maybe killing her is the way is to fix it, eh?" Murmurs of agreement all around. "We should hand her to those beasts…"

"And what are we? Hm?" The captain asked. "Are we beasts? No; we will not allowed someone to be murdered, especially if there's a chance she may be innocent."

"But you heard her!"

"Her minds a mess… she doesn't know what she's saying."

"She seemed pretty lucid when she led us up here," a crewman said, followed by several ayes.

"True," Hawk had to concede, "but… maybe it was just instinct. Just reacting to the situation..."

Imoen pursed her lips and pinched her lower lip. That was her thinking expression. It was strange; Lyn definitely had an… aura, about her. Not one you could see, but she felt it in the room. It flickered, shrinking and growing seemingly at random. Chaotic, or at least, unrefined… maybe just reacting…

Another howl came from outside, but this one carried a name. "Hawk!"

The captain nodded to his crew, and followed the voice outside. Right were the wolf-man had stood before, was an equally large bat. The captain studied it, and noted the shield.

"Sherman?" Hawk blinked, still scarcely believing it.

"Old friend!" The creature laughed. "Been, what… six years? Been a few changes made, as you can see."

"I'm… sorry…"

"Sorry?" It laughed again, then stepped forward, right to the very edge of the light. "Well, if that's true, then you know what you have to do, hm? Hand over the girl."

"What will do with her?"

"Well, y'know, despite everything, I am still the sheriff. I'll hang her, of course."

"Can't let you do that, Sher. She should at least have a fair trial."

"A trial?" The sheriff scoffed in disgust. "Give her a chance to twist our heads? Deceive us with green eyes and pretty lies… I think not, friend. No; she already confessed, and the town voted and found her guilty. You know the law here; give her to me." Hawk said nothing, but stood his ground.

"Well," the sheriff went on, "you have until morning. After that, we're burning this place, with you inside if need be. Whatever you do, captain, don't fall under her spell," he warned them, and went, just like the wolf before.

* * *

"What, exactly, are we looking for?" Tenya sighed in frustration. The seemed to just be wandering around the sheriff's house aimlessly.

"I-I'm not sure," Aerie explained, "but, the pouch he was carrying… i-it was empty but had a sweet smell… it reminded me of something…" she sniffed, and her head snapped to the side, to a bedroom. She hurried in, and sniffed more, closing in on the bed itself. Overturning the mattress, she found another, larger pouch, which she unbuttoned and crumbled between her thumb and forefinger.

"Lotus petals," she scowled. "I-it's an opiate…"

"Oh?" Tenya blinked. "Now, how would such a goody two shoes know so much about illegal substances?"

Aerie sucked in some air, steadying herself. "S-slavers use it, sometimes… w-when slaves don't cooperate."

"On… on you?"

"No… I was lucky," the elf growled.

"Look there!" Felix held out a paw. As well as the pouch, there was also a square piece of green cloth, rough and torn around the edges.

"That's a piece of her dress," Tenya observed, completely confused by it all, "you know, the one the lady was wearing…"

"Yes," Aerie agreed. She was still confused, but suspicions were beginning to form in her mind… but with them, she felt her grip slipping. She turned, sat down on the bed, her hand going up to her teeth… her sharp, pointed teeth.

"Fangs, eh?" Tenya peered curiously. "Not an eagle, then…"

"Ten," the elf started rocking. She felt a great heat rising through her body, into her skull. "Y-you… you should go…"

"Nice thought, genius. And where, exactly, can I go?"

"Anywhere," Aerie said, wrinkled and growling. "You just need to get away from me…"

"Why?"

"Just do what I say!" The elf, or whatever she was turning into, narrowly missed as she slashed at the girl. She jumped up, across, landed on feet and turned around, snarling. "I-I… don't want to hurt you…" she said, struggling.

"Then don't," the priestess spat, "hold on, like Felix."

"Y-you don't understand," Aerie said, wearing a pained expression as she shook her head.

"You said you wouldn't leave," the girl reminded her, stony faced.

"I'm not; you're the one who has to. Re-remember… remember, you asked if I ever got mad? You want to know the truth?" Tenya didn't say, but she didn't back away either. The elf slowly crawled forwards. "I-it hurts inside, all the time… and I'm angry, all the time. Over the years, I've learned to control it, direct it where it's useful… but, i-if I become just a beast, no thought or reason, I-I…"

"That's dumb… even for you."

"What?!" Aerie asked, startled.

"Look," the girl rolled her eyes, "in the woods, when you saved me, did you stop and think about it?"

"There… t-there wasn't time…"

"Exactly. Don't you see? Even if all you are is instinct, your instinct is always telling you to be good. Face it; being nice is just a curse you have to carry. You can fight it, but it'll always win in the end."

"So… you… you still trust me?" Aerie smiled. It was cooling down.

"Well… don't get all fuzzy about it," the girl huffed, "I just… haven't any choice right now, have I?"

"I guess not," the elf got up, marched across and picked up the green cloth.

"So… you solved the crime yet?"

"N-not exactly," Aerie said, feeling the soft fabric between her fingers. "But… there might be a way for me to see what happened…"


End file.
